So long, so much lack of inspiration...
I apologize to all...who are left...in the audience...
To tell you the truth...I think I lost almost all faith in this story...
I dunno why..it's a weird feeling, but I ain't givin' up. Not just yet...
Wind blew heavenly upon her blood-pounding hot cheeks.
A heavy limb wrapped around her warmed her body up, as she regained conscious.
She laid flat on the grass, Stranger fast asleep beside her, with an arm gently wrapped around her body.
The clouds wearily fogged the sun, no light touching the grassy valley.
Umi's eyes blinked open, staring out at the grey-hazy horizon outside the flat land.
Clouds above moved swiftly above her head, producing off the high plateau they had perilously fallen off of.
Feeling the need to sit up, she flexed her muscles, but suddenly stopped.
Mutters from far away moved quickly up to them.
She relaxed her arms, immediately closing her eyes, as she heard soft footsteps trample in the grass.
Laughter ran across her, making her stiffen all down her body.
Her head slowly jerked to Stranger's face, not being able to see the approaching figures cackling to each other.
"Stranger..." she whispered softly.
He only sighed sleepily, his eyes closed and rolled back in to his dreams.
"Stranger..." she whispered urgently.
A soft grumble sounded from him, his head moving down near his chest.
She stopped whispering, knowing that he was as dead as a doorknob.
The trotting slowed down, and the voices became curious, softly whispering to each other.
Great... she snapped her eyes shut, the shuffles on the grass came up to their heads, and stopped.
"Whoa..." one spoke.
"What are they?"
Umi's lip trembled.
"I dunno..." another said.
"Are they alive?"
She could sense their movement, one of the things kneeling down to them.
A wild sniffling ran over her face, she twitching from its tickling hair brushing her face.
The creature snapped back, grumbling suspiciously.
"Yeah. They're alive...the thing next to it cringed,"
Umi held still again, the shadows of the things coming over to Stranger now.
"What'a 'bout that one?" one said.
"I dunno...it looks a bit...rough..."
Oh...I wish he would wake up now...
"Check it anyways..."
The other mumbled cautiously, leaning over Stranger, and carefully scruntizing him.
Stranger's eye twitched from its fur that lashed over.
He snorted, his eyes fluttering open, and feeling a body leaning over him.
His ears snapped up, along with his eyes wide open in alert.
His body suddenly snapped up on his flaring arms, growling at the body that had intruded his space.
Stranger sneered at the wanderers that came along, his teeth clenched tightly together.
The creatures cringed away from the thing that had snapped up over the smaller creature in a full-fledged defensive stance.
"What in Odd's name-"
Stranger flared his nostrils at the intruders, his ears flattened on the back of his head.
"You guys barged on to the wrong guy to check out..." he growled.
"Whoa...this guy's serious..." one whispered.
Stranger's eyes cooled down upon the creatures, turning up in to shock.
"You...you guys..." he stammered, staring up from their feet to their bodies.
Their stiffened arms relaxed slowly to their sides, staring to each other, then back to the unfamilar stranger.
Umi's tightly-sewn eyes slowly peeked open, staring at the chest of Stranger up lifted over her body.
She moved her head with Stranger, staring at the creatures ahead, their scrawny legs shivering in fear.
"Huh?" she blinked.
Was her vision impaired?
She got up on her arms as well, staring at the four legs that stood straight as sticks.
The creatures relaxed fully to them, their eyes settling upon the stranger that had startled them.
"W-we apologize," they spoke.
"We had no idea you we're...still...alive..."
Their eyes drew away in attention from the stranger to the smaller creature under its body.
Umi's mouth drooped open in surprise.
"You guys are Steef..." she spoke astounded.
Their eyes blinked upon the human confuddled.
"Yes...we are..." both nodded.
"but...what are you?"
Stranger rested on to his knees, holding a hand on Umi's shoulder in comfort.
"Where'd you guys come from?" Stranger asked, his brow raising intrigued by something they were supposed to find themselves.
The two Steef males blinked at the stranger, one slowly raising an arm behind it.
"Just over those hills...passed the river valley..."
Stranger's lips curled happily up.
"We were almost there, Umi," he glanced down to her.
"We were just close..."
The two Steef males scratched the back of their heads, the fleas and pests nipping in to their skin.
"Where did you guys come from?" one asked, his curious red eyes stuck upon the stranger slowly standing up.
"From a very far way," Stranger nodded, his expression dissolving in to seriousness.
"We traveled all across the Western Mudos to find you's guys, and the last Steef Tribe,"
Their eyes narrowed down, hairs prickling on their necks, and teeth fledging from under their lips.
"You guys didn't come 'ere to poach us..." they growled, their muscles flexing defensively.
Stranger snorted at the males, feeling the urge to stick an arm out in front of the human beside him.
"No we didn't," he sneered in return.
"We've come 'ere in search fer you,"
The males didn't let up of their protective stance, glaring deviously at the stranger.
Stranger's eyes grew hard and stern at the Steef, raising an arm up to them.
"Hold up," he said.
"If you's want proof..."
He placed a thumb down in to his tan tights.
"I'll show's it to yer..."
The males grew soft, but their hair still stood upon their skin.
A green eye was stuck on both of them, while Stranger, tore off his tights, kicking off his boots, and revealing his four scrawny legs off to the males.
"What in Odd's name..." their mouths dropped in astoundment.
"Yer a Steef? In disguise?"
Stranger nodded his head gently, but his eyes kept solid on the Steef.
"What's the reason?"
"It's a long story..." he scratched the back of his neck, feeling his flesh roll off under his nails.
"Really..." they sounded skeptical.
"Come with us. I'm sure the Elder would want to hear of this,"
Stranger gathered his boots and tights, balling his tights in to a boot, then held them under his arm.
He grinned down to Umi, she staring at the males in slight anxiety.
"Don't-cha worry, kid," he whispered.
"You's got's me 'ere wit' ya,"
Umi darted up to him, her face apathetic, but giving off a confident nod.
"Alright," Stranger told, facing back to the males.
"Lead the way,"
The males nodded in agreement, falling back beside Stranger, and not too closely to the human, slowly trotting beside the river.
This was it.
Their most greatly anticipated moment that would change their life forever.
The moment when they finally find the last Steef tribe on Oddworld.
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